Hair curler



cf- 1, 1963 D. M. MITCHELL. ETAL 3,19 5592 HAIR CURLER Filed NOV. 18, 1959 United States Patent O 3,105,502 HAER CURLER Dennis M. Mitchell, Arlington Heights, and Albert Safianofl, Chicago, Ill., assignors to The Gillette Company, Boston, Mass., a corporation of Delaware Filed Nov. 18, 1959, Ser. No. 853,803 2 Clairns. (Cl. 132-40) 'Ihis invention relates to a hair holding device such as a hair curler or roller and pertains more specifically to an integral one-piece hair curler of generally cylindrical shape having an array of hair-gripping elements extending outwardly therefrom.

One object of the present invention is to provide a hair curler or roller having superior hair-gripping and retaning Characteristics.

Another object is to provide a hair curler of the type described of simple and inexpensive one-piece construction.

Still another object is to provide a molded, flexible, plastic hair curler of integral one-piece construction having an array of hair-holding elements on its outer face providing improved hair-retaining characteristics.

Still a further object is -to provide a hair curler of the type described adapted to be molded in flat condition and subsequently formed into cylindrical shape and maintained in that shape by looking elements which are an integral part of the curler.

Other and further objects will be apparent from .the drawing and from the description which follows.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view showing one embodiment of a completed hair curler of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a view on an enlarged scale taken along line 2-2 of FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is a view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5 is an isometric view, partly broken away and on an enlarged scale, showing a locking element securing Ithe curler in cylindrical shape.

In the embodiment shown in the drawings, the curler, which is shown generally in FIG. l comprises a generally cylindrical body consisting of a sheet of flexible, re-

' silient, synthetic plastic composition formed by curving a generally flat rectangular sheet until its opposite margins meet each other, as indicated at 11 in FIG. 1, the two margins being held together, as shown best in FIG. 5, by a plurality of tongues 14 secured to one marginal portion and extending through mating apertures 16 in an ofset portion 18 of the opposing marginal portion. The cylindrical body 10 in the preferred embodiment is provided with a plurality of apertures 2-3, 20 permitting a free flow of treating fluids or of air -to and from the interior of the curler through the hair tress wound thereon. A variety of synthetic plastic compositions may be employed for making the curler of the present invention such as nylon, polyethylene, piasticized polyvinyl chloride, and other vinyl and ethylenic polymers. Preferably the composition is relatively soft and yielding, having a hardness no greater than 60 measured on .the Shore Durometer D scale.

Formed integrally with the body 10 and extending generally radially outwardly from the outer face of the body is an array of hair-gripping elements 21, 22, 23. 'Ihe elements of the array are arranged in parallel rows 24-, 26, 28 which extend generally axially of the body 410. At least ten such rows, preferably from fifteen to twent five rows, are required to obtain satisfactory results, the rows being approximately equi-spaced around the circurnference of the body. 'Ihe spacing between suceessive rows of elements, measured circumferentially of the curler from the sharp edges of the elements in one row Mice to the corresponding sharp edges of the elements in the next row, should be no greater than four times the width of the hair-gripping elements measured at their bases in a direction parallel .to the axis of the curler, i.e., along the row.

Each element 22 has at least two Sharp edges 30, 32 extending along its length and facing in the direction of the row, as best appears in FIG. 4. The elements of each successive row 24, 26, 28 are staggered with respect to the elements of the preceding and succeeding rows. For example, each element of row 26 is staggered with respect to the elements of row 24 as well as those of row 28. In addition, the spacing between adjacent elements in each row is approximately the same as the width (measured at the base in a direction parallel to the aXis of body 10) of the individual elements in the preceding -and succeeding rows; that is, the spacing between any two elements 22, 22 of row 26 is approximately equal to the distance from edge 30 to edge 32 of element 21' of row 24 and to the corresponding dimension of element 23 of row 28. In any event, the spacing between adjacent elements at their bases must be no greater than 0.020 inch more than the width measured as described above of the elements in the adjacent rows. In general, the array should have at least 60 elements per square inch and may have -as many as 200 per square inch, although from to per square inch are preferred.

For best results, as shown in the preferred embodiment illustra-ted in the drawing, each element tapers toward its outer end and preferably terminates in a point, the length of each element being at least twice its width measured as described above. Moreover, the sharp edges are preferably arcuate, one edge 30 (see FIG. 2)

'being convex and the opposing edge 32 being concave, so

that each element is saber-shaped.

An essential feature of the invention is that 'the edges 30, 32 of the hair-gripping elements be sharp; i.e., that the included solid angle at each edge be less than preferably less than 90.

The array of hair-gripping elements is so designed that when the hair tress is wound circumferentially around the curler to form croquignole curls, the individual hair fibers become wedged between the staggered elements of successive rows and are securely engaged by the sharp edges of the yielding plastic material. 'Ihe fact that the spacing between adjacent elements in each row is approximately equal to the width of the elements in the preceding and succeeding rows causes the hair fibers to be forced into a tortuous or zig-zag path as they are pressed between the elements while the hair is being wound up on the curler. This fact provides remarkably improved holding or retaining icharactenistics for the curler land ensures that the hair tress is firmly held in position without risk of slippng or -sliding In the manufacture of the device of the present invention, it is preferably molded in the form of a flat sheet from a flexible, resilient, synthetic plastic composition such as polyethylene and is then rolled up upon itself and secnred in cylindrical form by means of tongues 14, a plurality of which may be provided along one margin of the body 10.

In use of the device, the hair tress is wound circumferentially upon the body 10 withlmoderate tension which forces the hair fibers into the Spaces between the hairengaging elements. When the hair tress has been completely wound upon the curler, it may be retaned in position by means of a common hairpin of the type known as a bobby pin which is slid axially over body member 10 between adjacent rows of hair-engaging elements, one leg of the hairpin being in contact With the inner face of body member 10 and the other overlying the outer face of the hair tress.

Although specific embodiments of the invention have been described herein, it is not intended to limit the invention solely thereto, but to include all of the obvious variations and modifications Within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A hair curler comprising a generally cylindrical Winding member having an array of hair-gripping elements projecting generally radially from said member, the elements of said array being arranged in at least 10 parallel generally axally extending rows, each element having at least two sharp edges extending along its length facing in the direction of said rows and each element tapering to a point at its outer end, the included angle of each sharp edge being less than 90, the length of each element being at least twice its width measured at its base in a direction parallel to the axis of said winding member, the elements in successive rows being staggered with respect to each other and all of the elements in each row being spaced from each other at their bases by a distance no greater than 0.020 inch more than the width, measured at their bases in a direction parallel to the axis of said member, of the elements in the adjacent rows, successive rows being spaced from each other lby a distance no greater i than four times said width, said spacing between rows being measured from the sharp edges of the elements in one row to the sharp edges of the elements in the next row, from 60 to 200 elements being present in each square inch of said array.

2. A hair curler as defined in claim 1 in which the sharp edges of each element are arcuate to provide a sabershaped element.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,582,550 Madore Jan. 15, 1952 2,625,941 Harrington I an. 20, 1953 2,888,937 Weldon June 2, 1959 2,954,788 Madore Oct. 4, 1960 2,960,989 Magee -a Nov. 22, 1960 2,966,9'13 Lerner et al Jan. 3, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS l,209,725 France Sept. 21, 1959 1,219,855 France Dec. 28, 1959 1,247,890 France Oct. 24, 1960 

1. A HAIR CURLER COMPRISING A GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL WINDING MEMBER HAVING AN ARRAY OF HAIR-GRIPPING ELEMENTS PROJECTING GENERALLY RADIALLY FROM SAID MEMBER, THE ELEMENTS OF SAID ARRAY BEING ARRANGED IN AT LEAST 10 PARALLEL GENERALLY AXIALLY EXTENDING ROWS, EACH ELEMENT HAVING AT LEAST TWO SHARP EDGES EXTENDING ALONG ITS LENGTH FACING IN THE DIRECTION OF SAID ROWS AND EACH ELEMENT TAPERING TO A POINT AT ITS OUTER END, THE INCLUDED ANGLE OF EACH SHARP EDGE BEING LESS THAN 90*, THE LENGTH OF EACH ELEMENT BEING AT LEAST TWICE ITS WIDTH MEASURED AT ITS BASE IN A DIRECTION PARALLEL TO THE AXIS OF SAID WINDING MEMBER, THE ELEMENTS IN SUCCESSIVE ROWS BEING STAGGERED WITH RESPECT TO EACH OTHER AND ALL OF THE ELEMENTS IN EACH ROW BEING SPACED FROM EACH OTHER AT THEIR BASES BY A DISTANCE NO GREATER THAN 0.020 INCH MORE THAN THE WIDTH, MEASURED AT THEIR BASES IN A DIRECTION PARALLEL TO THE AXIS TO SAID MEMBER, OF THE ELEMENTS IN THE ADJACENT ROWS, SUCCESSIVE ROWS BEING SPACED FROM EACH OTHER BY A DISTANCE NO GREATER THAN FOUR TIMES SAID WIDTH, SAID SPACING BETWEEN ROWS BEING MEASURED FROM THE SHARP EDGES OF THE ELEMENTS IN ONE ROW TO THE SHARP EDGES OF THE ELEMENTS IN THE NEXT ROW, FROM 60 TO 200 ELEMENTS BEING PRESENT IN EACH SQUARE INCH OF SAID ARRAY. 